The ground was hot, the air thick with ash. Sertah knew this place. Blackrock Mountain. She raised herself from the hard ground, and let her eyes adjust to murky darkness. Her ears twitched into life. Before she only heard echoes, as if she was underwater. But now she heard the crackling of a distant flame. Even further, small footfall. There was a narrow corridor leading up to light. She followed it, and at the end, found a large circular arena. Yala was waiting for her in the centre. Why couldn't she call her family? Why wasn't the link working any more? She breathed in deeply, and stepped forward to face her daughter.

Meanwhile, Durjai, the ancestor spirit was lost in a dream. He sat, perched on the edge of the arena, facing away from the fighting women. He was blind, he found no great pleasure in watching combat. This new world scared him, it was nice to come to somewhere so ancient, near the core of the world. He felt the fire surging through him, and he no longer cared about the duel, the treason of Sertah, or the young girl who claimed to be the heir of Warpwood.

Yala was strong, the Cult had raised her to be a merciless warrior, but her powers were mundane. Physical strength and speed were her only attributes. Sertah fell on the floor, landing on her left arm. Yala advanced, her mother had used no magic yet, she assumed that Durjai was still suppressing her elemental skills. But Yala swung the scythe down viciously. Sertah caught it's metal shaft, and sent waves on intense heat rippling through it. It burnt Yala's hand, and she let go. As swift as a cobra, Sertah swung her other arm around and grabbed Yala by her throat.

"It doesn't matter if you kill me now," Yala croaked "The Twilight's Hammer still sees you as a traitor! You will be hunted down, and soon after they will come for the rest!""What are you speaking of, Brat?" Sertah hissed, her grip tightening."All these years since the Shifting sands, since you abandoned us, we have grown under new lords. All under his gaze will burn"Sertah looked into Yala's eyes. So deep, so amber. Just like hers. And yet, madness clouded them, it swirled within her mind like a choking fog. Sertah was overcome by grief. Her grip loosened for a moment.It was all that Yala needed. Snatching the scythe back, Yala kicked the witch in the stomach, sending her staggering backwards. "You blind old hag!" Yala screeched, "You have turned your back on the elements, and they will turn their back on you!"Sertah looked up, clutching her stomach. Her eyes grew greyer, and inky clouds formed within them."Insolence.. you know nothing of the elements. You could have become a witch, but instead.." Waving her hands in a circular motion before her, small clutches of static fizzled and sparked. "I will show you what it means to be one with the elements!"All at once, Sertah flung a deadly stream of lightning, Yala barely having the time to save herself, the leather on her shoulder disintergrated and left her flesh burnt.

Yala ran, Sertah did not follow. What would be the point of chasing down her wounded daughter? What mattered was her family. Her real family. Durjai stared down at her, with a lost look upon his face. It was a long way to Stranglethorn. But she had to start sometime.